This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for the protection of vehicle crew members against existing and future high-intensity directed energy weapon threats such as laser and photonic weapons.
High-intensity light sources such as laser and other photonic weapon threats jeopardize crew members' vision as they operate vehicles in different operational scenarios. These emerging directed energy weapon threats span broad ranges in wavelength and intensity level, such as dazzler weapons and blinding weapons. Dazzler weapon threats include light sources that are near or below eye-damaging intensity but whose effectiveness lies in distracting the vehicle crew members from the timely execution of mission duties. Blinding weapons include high-intensity light source threats that are at or above eye-damaging intensity and may permanently damage crew members' eyes.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/491,691, filed on Jun. 8, 2012 and entitled “High Intensity Light Source Blocking System and Method”, discloses a high-intensity light source blocking system for an aircraft operated by a crew member within a crew member cockpit that includes an eye position detection system that outputs a crew member eye position relative to the crew member cockpit, a transparent dynamic-darkening display canopy covering the crew member cockpit, and a scene imager system having at least one scene imager either external to or within the crew member cockpit. The scene imager system is configured to detect a presence of a high-intensity light source and an emanation direction of the high-intensity light source relative to the crew member cockpit. A computing device is connected to the eye position detection system, the transparent dynamic-darkening display canopy and the scene imager system, and controls the darkening of a portion of the dynamic-darkening display canopy upon the occurrence of the high-intensity light source having an intensity value equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold or the crew member eye position being subject to a direct portion of the high-intensity light source. In accordance with one embodiment, the method comprises dynamically darkening an active window canopy of a crew member cockpit of an aircraft by detecting a high-intensity light source that impinges thereon. The entire active window canopy is darkened based on detecting the high-intensity light source and determines whether the high-intensity light source is above an intensity threshold. A direction of the high-intensity light source is determined relative to the active window canopy of the crew member cockpit. The active window canopy is then made transparent while darkening only a portion of the active window canopy at a location on the active window canopy based upon determining the direction of the high-intensity light source and determining a relative position of at least one crew member in the crew member cockpit.
There is a need for improvements in systems and methods that protect vehicle crew members' eyes from dazzler and blinding weapon threats that is responsive and allows crew members to maintain their operational duties within a vehicle.